Leslie Rosenthal Jacobs (born 1959,
) is an education reform advocate, business executive, and philanthropist. Born in New Orleans and a graduate of Cornell University, she built her family's small, independent insurance agency into one of the largest in the South, before merging the Rosenthal Agency with
Hibernia National Bank
Hibernia National Bank was a bank headquartered in New Orleans, Louisiana. The bank was the primary subsidiary of Hibernia Corporation, a bank holding company. In November 2005, the bank was acquired by Capital One.
Hibernia is the classical ...
(now
Capital One
Capital One Financial Corporation is an American bank holding company specializing in credit cards, auto loans, banking, and savings accounts, headquartered in McLean, Virginia with operations primarily in the United States. It is on the list o ...
). While President of Rosenthal Agency, Jacobs worked with the business community and the legislature to create the Louisiana Workers Compensation Corporation (LWCC) and served on its inaugural board of directors. The LWCC solved a state workers compensation crisis and today Louisiana has competitive and stable workers compensation rates. She went on to become a co-founder of Strategic Comp, a workers compensation insurance company that sold to Great American in 2008.
Jacobs has been active in the New Orleans business and startup community serving as past chair of GNO, Inc., a non-profit economic development corporation dedicated to cultivating the
Greater New Orleans area's economy, the vice-chair of the and CEO and co-founders of the New Orleans Startup Fund, a nonprofit venture fund focused on business creation and innovation in the 10-parish Greater New Orleans region.
Jacobs has been engaged in education reform for more than 35 years. She began as a business partner with an elementary school, served as an elected member of the Orleans Parish School Board, and then, as a member of the
State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (BESE) for twelve years, first appointed by
Governor Foster (R) and then re-appointed by
Governor Blanco (D).
Jacobs is credited as one of the prime architects for reform of the Louisiana Public Schools throughout the 1990’s and 2000’s.
Jacobs was honored as the “Twenty People Who Influenced Louisiana from 1981-2001” by Louisiana Life Magazine in 2001, and Forbes awarded Jacobs the “World’s Most Powerful Educators” award in 2011.
Personal life
Jacobs is married to Scott Jacobs. She has two daughters and four grandchildren.
The Rosenthal Agency
Jacobs began work at her family's independent insurance agency in 1981 after graduating from
Cornell University
Cornell University is a private statutory land-grant research university based in Ithaca, New York. It is a member of the Ivy League. Founded in 1865 by Ezra Cornell and Andrew Dickson White, Cornell was founded with the intention to teach an ...
. Under her leadership, the company became one of the top 100 insurance brokers in the United States. In 2000,
Hibernia National Bank
Hibernia National Bank was a bank headquartered in New Orleans, Louisiana. The bank was the primary subsidiary of Hibernia Corporation, a bank holding company. In November 2005, the bank was acquired by Capital One.
Hibernia is the classical ...
purchased the agency, and Jacobs became President of the merged Hibernia Rosenthal Agency. She remained president until 2002. In 2006, Hibernia, the largest deposit holder in Southeast
Louisiana
Louisiana , group=pronunciation (French: ''La Louisiane'') is a state in the Deep South and South Central regions of the United States. It is the 20th-smallest by area and the 25th most populous of the 50 U.S. states. Louisiana is borde ...
, was purchased by
Capital One
Capital One Financial Corporation is an American bank holding company specializing in credit cards, auto loans, banking, and savings accounts, headquartered in McLean, Virginia with operations primarily in the United States. It is on the list o ...
and re-branded under the Capital One banner. Jacobs was also co-founder and owner of Strategic Comp, a multi-state workers compensation insurance company that was purchased in 2008 by
Great American Insurance.
Orleans Parish School Board
In 1992, Jacobs ran for a position on the
Orleans Parish School Board
The Orleans Parish School Board (OPSB) governs the public school system that serves New Orleans, Louisiana. It includes the entirety of Orleans Parish, coterminous with New Orleans.
The OPSB directly administers 6 schools and has granted charte ...
from District 6, a majority
African-American
African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American ...
district comprising much of southwestern Orleans Parish, including parts of
Dixon,
Uptown,
Mid-City and the
Black Pearl
The ''Black Pearl'' (formerly known as the ''Wicked Wench'') is a fictional ship in the ''Pirates of the Caribbean'' film series. In the screenplay, the ''Black Pearl'' is easily recognized by her distinctive black hull and sails. Captained by ...
. She ran in an
open primary
Primary elections, or direct primary are a voting process by which voters can indicate their preference for their party's candidate, or a candidate in general, in an upcoming general election, local election, or by-election. Depending on the ...
and placed first, taking 29% of the vote, or about 3,575 votes. In the
run-off election
The two-round system (TRS), also known as runoff voting, second ballot, or ballotage, is a voting method used to elect a single candidate, where voters cast a single vote for their preferred candidate. It generally ensures a majoritarian resul ...
, Jacobs received 13,909 votes and defeated fellow Democrat Henry Julien 59% to 41%. She served on the board until 1996, and in her final year, served as board vice-president.
Louisiana State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education
Jacobs was appointed in 1996 to the State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education and served as a gubernatorial appointee until 2008, serving both Republican Governor
Mike Foster and Democratic Governor
Kathleen Blanco
Kathleen Marie Blanco (née Babineaux; December 15, 1942 – August 18, 2019) was an American politician who served as the 54th Governor of Louisiana from January 2004 to January 2008. A member of the Democratic Party, she was the first and, t ...
. Jacobs is credited as one of the prime architects for reform of Louisiana's Public Schools throughout the 1990s and 2000s, including developing and implementing the number one ranked school accountability system in the country and implementing major steps to improve teacher quality. According to the 2009 Education Watch Report released by the Education Trust, Louisiana is the only state in which the gap between African American and white students has narrowed significantly in both 4th grade reading and 8th grade math.
As part of Louisiana's school accountability system, Jacobs was instrumental in creating the
Recovery School District
Recovery School District (RSD) is a special statewide school district administered by the Louisiana Department of Education. Created by legislation passed in 2003, the RSD is designed to take underperforming schools and transform and make them effe ...
(RSD) in 2003. The RSD is administered by the Department of Education, and is designed to take over academically failing schools.
Prior to Hurricane Katrina, Orleans Parish Schools were the worst performing in the state. 63% of the Parish's schools were failing. After Hurricane Katrina, Jacobs worked with Governor Blanco and State Superintendent Cecil Picard to place most of the Orleans public schools into the Recovery School District and to recruit high quality charter operators, like the
Knowledge is Power Program
The Knowledge is Power Program, commonly known as KIPP, is a network of free open-enrollment college-preparatory schools in low income communities throughout the United States. KIPP is America's largest network of charter schools. The head of ...
(KIPP), to come to New Orleans and be part of the rebuilding.
Today, New Orleans has 99% of public school students in charter schools which is the largest in the nation. Student performance has improved significantly in all measures: performance on state tests, reduction in the drop out rate, and percentage of seniors qualifying for Louisiana's merit based scholarship program. Doug Harris, Professor and Chair of the Department of Economics at
Tulane University
Tulane University, officially the Tulane University of Louisiana, is a private university, private research university in New Orleans, Louisiana. Founded as the Medical College of Louisiana in 1834 by seven young medical doctors, it turned into ...
wrote in a 2018 report: "To summarize, the reforms increased outcomes on average and seem to have improved equity as well. Black and low-income students saw higher test scores, high graduation rates, and college results."
President
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II ( ; born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, Obama was the first African-American president of the U ...
has praised the rejuvenation of Orleans Parish schools as a model for the rest of the country, stating: "And because a lot of your public schools opened themselves up to new ideas and innovative reforms, we're actually seeing an improvement in overall achievement that is making the city a model for reform nationwide."
Civic life
Jacobs is on the board of several organizations and civic causes, including:
* Past chair of GNO Inc., a non-profit economic development corporation dedicated to cultivating the Greater New Orleans area's economy
* Vice-chair of the New Orleans Business Alliance
* Vice-chair of the New Orleans Business Council
* CEO of the New Orleans Startup Fund, a nonprofit venture fund focused on business creation and innovation in the 10-parish Greater New Orleans region.
Jacobs ran for Mayor in the
2010 New Orleans mayoral election
The 2010 New Orleans mayoral election was held on February 6, 2010, to elect the Mayor of New Orleans, Louisiana. Incumbent Democratic Mayor Ray Nagin was term-limited and ineligible to run for re-election to a third term.
Democrat Mitch Landr ...
. Her platform included: safe streets, better schools and honorable government. Jacobs decided to exit the race when Mitch Landrieu made a surprise entry into the field.
YouthForce NOLA
Jacobs co-founded YouthForce NOLA in 2015 and currently serves as chairman. YouthForce is an education, business, and civic collaboration that prepares New Orleans public school students for successful pursuit of high-wage, high-demand career pathways and facilitates systems change to ensure equitable outcomes. YouthForce connects young people to economic prosperity by building pathways and creating access to work experience, technical skills and soft skills.
Belltower
Jacobs co-founded Belltower in 2019. Belltower is a nonprofit organization committed to expanding postsecondary success for New Orleans public school graduates. Bellower supports programs at the University of New Orleans and University of Louisiana Lafayette for students from low-income households. It also supports Trellis hybrid College offered by the Cowen Institute at Tulane University and one-year college and career readiness offered by Next Level NOLA and Launch. (11)
New Orleans Startup Fund
Jacobs co-founded the New Orleans Startup Fund, a nonprofit evergreen venture fund focused on business creation and innovation in the 10-parish Greater New Orleans region, in 2010. The fund exists to accelerate the growth of early stage, pre-revenue companies looking for proof-of-concept capital. The Startup Fund’s mission is to create jobs and economic prosperity for the 10-parish Greater New Orleans region by providing seed capital and business assistance to early-stage firms that demonstrate significant growth potential.
Awards
Jacobs has received numerous honors including:
National awards
*"World's Most Powerful Educators,"
Forbes
''Forbes'' () is an American business magazine owned by Integrated Whale Media Investments and the Forbes family. Published eight times a year, it features articles on finance, industry, investing, and marketing topics. ''Forbes'' also re ...
*"Top 50 Achievers,"
Jewish Daily Forward
''The Forward'' ( yi, פֿאָרווערטס, Forverts), formerly known as ''The Jewish Daily Forward'', is an American news media organization for a American Jews, Jewish American audience. Founded in 1897 as a Yiddish-language daily socialis ...
Honors leaders and innovators in the American Jewish community.
*Distinguished Service to State Government Award,
National Association of State Boards of Education
The National Association of State Boards of Education (NASBE) is a nonprofit private association that represents U.S. state and territory boards of education. Founded in 1958, the association initially met in conjunction with the annual conferenc ...
Given annually to a state board of education member in recognition of outstanding service to public education.
*Distinguished Service Award in 2001,
National Governor's Association
The National Governors Association (NGA) is an American political organization founded in 1908. The association's members are the governors of the 55 states, territories and commonwealths. Members come to the association from across the politica ...
Given by governors to their states' most valuable civil servants and private citizens, this award emphasizes the important contributions private citizens make to state government.
When nominating Jacobs for this award, Governor Foster stated, "The conversation about education in Louisiana is no longer about who to blame for our failures, but about making sure each child learns and each school succeeds and recognizing their improvement. Leslie Jacobs changed that conversation; Leslie Jacobs changed the way public education in Louisiana works. I am grateful for her service and proud to nominate her for this honor."
*1995 Delegate to the
British-American Project
The British-American Project (BAP) is a transatlantic fellowship of more than 1,200 leaders and opinion formers from a broad spectrum of occupations, backgrounds and political views. BAP operates on a not-for-profit basis, funded through its member ...
One of 24 delegates selected to represent the United States in a conference with 24 British leaders to develop mutual understanding between future leaders of both nations.
*"100 Leading Women," Business Insurance
Recognizes the top 100 women executives in the insurance industry.
* Citizen Leadership Award in 2014,
International Economic Development Council
The International Economic Development Council (IEDC) is a non-profit membership organization serving economic developers. With more than 5,000 members, IEDC is the largest national and global organization of its kind.
IEDC is located in Washin ...
Local awards
*"Twenty People Who Influenced Louisiana 1981-2001," Louisiana Life Magazine
*"Co-New Orleanian of the Year,"
Gambit Weekly
''Gambit'' (formerly ''Gambit Weekly'') is a New Orleans, Louisiana-based free alternative weekly newspaper established in 1981.
''Gambit'' features reporting about local politics, news, food and drink, arts, music, film, events, environmental ...
*"Whitney Young, Jr. Award",
Boy Scouts of America
The Boy Scouts of America (BSA, colloquially the Boy Scouts) is one of the largest scouting organizations and one of the largest youth organizations in the United States, with about 1.2 million youth participants. The BSA was founded i ...
* Tricentennial Award (2018),
NOLA.com
''The Times-Picayune/The New Orleans Advocate'' is an American newspaper published in New Orleans, Louisiana, since January 25, 1837. The current publication is the result of the 2019 acquisition of ''The Times-Picayune'' (itself a result of th ...
*Alumna of the Year, 2013,
Isidore Newman School
Isidore Newman School is a private, nondenominational, co-educational college preparatory school located on an campus in the uptown section of New Orleans, Louisiana.
Jeré Longman of ''The New York Times'' described Isidore Newman as "one of ...
*Role Model,
Young Leadership Council (YLC)
*Business Hall of Fame Role Model,
Junior Achievement
JA (Junior Achievement) Worldwide is a global non-profit youth organization founded in 1919 by Horace A. Moses, Theodore Vail, and Winthrop M. Crane. JA works with local businesses, schools, and organizations to deliver experiential learning ...
*Role Model,
YWCA
The Young Women's Christian Association (YWCA) is a nonprofit organization with a focus on empowerment, leadership, and rights of women, young women, and girls in more than 100 countries.
The World office is currently based in Geneva, Swi ...
* Outstanding Young Woman, Louisiana
Jaycee
The United States Junior Chamber, also known as the Jaycees, JCs or JCI USA, is a leadership training, service organization and civic organization for people between the ages of 18 and 40. It is a branch of Junior Chamber International (JCI ...
*"Women of the Year,"
New Orleans CityBusiness
*Board of Directors Award for community service, Louisiana Association of Fundraising Executives
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Jacobs, Leslie
1959 births
Living people
Businesspeople from New Orleans
Cornell University alumni
American philanthropists
21st-century American Jews